Carbon dioxide changes behavor.
Higher carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could be making us stupid. Research has shown that greater concentrations of CO2 causes neurological impairment in fish. Sea water stores the dangerous element - the ocean has become more acidic because of its increased presence.
The test subjects were Damsel fish (Acathochromis polyacanthus), which live in coral reefs. Half were kept in a normal atmosphere. The other half were put in an atmosphere with elevated CO2. Brain chemistry, blood and behavior were measured.
The behavior test involved the fish choosing between entering normal sea water or going to water containing injured fish. The smell of the injured fish should have stopped the damselfish from choosing to enter that water. However, the fish exposed to higher CO2 ignored or did not pick up the chemical warning: the injured fish didn't bother them.
This is ground breaking stuff. It could show what will happen to humans as carbon dioxide dramatically increases in coming years. People are not fish, but we are all animals. The process of preventing internal body tissues from becoming more acidic from a dangerous CO2 environment does cause chemical imbalance that affects behavior.
◆ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan ◆
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